Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad with Pork

One of the perks of living in my little corner of the Pacific Northwest is the abundant diversity of world cultures. Fortunately, much of this diversity makes its way into the food chain and from there into my own kitchen. One of my most favorite cuisines is Vietnamese food. Truth be told, I love all Asian inspired dishes, and one of the first that I ever had was an uber-delicious (don't you say "uber" too? Yeah, I thought so.) rice noodle salad with flame broiled pork. It's called Bun Thit Nuong (according to the Saigon Grill's take out menu), and it is the most amazing combination of textures and flavors. It's loaded with crunchy raw veggies, al dente warm rice noodle vermicelli, hot off the grill pork, and drizzled with an Asian sweet/sour/salty/spicy dressing. I could eat it every day for the rest of my life.

Today's recipe is my attempt to recreate this delicacy at home.  Let me be up front about the prep time: it involves a LOT of chopping. Lots and lots and lots of chopping. And then more chopping. Did I mention you will spend time chopping? This is the recipe to go to when you have something you want to work out of your system, or as in my case, when you want to ponder over a situation. Since it took me a good 15 minutes to gather, peel, and chop everything (and I'm pretty good with a knife), I had a lot of time to run through various scenarios of said situation in my head. Plus, it's a good thing to get me to slow down a bit and enjoy the process, not just the end result. Ahem. But I digress. Back to the recipe. Once you have finished prepping everything, it comes together toot-sweet.

I like this recipe because it fits in with my plan to eat more veggies and less meat. Notice I said "less" meat, not "no" meat.  We are carnivores in this family.  I didn't grill the pork because it was monsooning outside. This turned out great just pan frying the meat. This is equally good with chicken as well as shrimp.

Here we go:

Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad with Pork

1 pkg Asian Rice Noodles - thin, vermicelli style

3 boneless pork chops, 1 inch thick, sliced ultra thin against the grain
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
garlic powder
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons canola oil

5 cups chopped romaine lettuce
4 carrots, sliced matchstick thin (I used one of those serrated veggie peelers)
2 cucumbers, peeled, sliced in thin 1/2 rounds
1 cup bean sprouts
2 green onions - chopped thin
1/4 cup white onion, sliced in thin 1/2 rounds (optional)
1/4 cup cilantro - chopped
1/2 cup salted cocktail style peanuts, chopped

Dressing:
6 tablespoons fresh lime juice or lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons rice vinegar, or use cider vinegar is you don't have the rice one
6 tablespoons fish sauce (called Nouc Cham) (It's stinky, but tastes better than it smells)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 chili chopped, or 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
6 tablespoons water

On a cutting board, toss the pork strips with the soy sauce, ginger, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and oil. Let sit and marinate while you chop the bazillion veggies.

Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat. If necessary, add a tablespoon of oil (like canola) and stir fry the pork strips until they are golden brown.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch. I've always wanted to say that. Plus, just wanted to see if you were still with me.  hehe  Anyway, meanwhile, prepare the rice noodles according to package directions. NOTE: The noodles cook really quickly; take care not to over cook them. Drain and keep warm.

Prepare the dressing by combining all the incredients.  Now it's time to assemble! You will need large individual serving bowls.  I used pasta bowls and they worked perfectly.  In each bowl, place a generous serving of the warm noodles. Artfully, surround the noodles with individual mounds of lettuce, carrots, bean sprouts, your choice of onions, cilantro, and meat. Drizzle with the dressing. Garnish with peanuts. (I took the pictures before adding the peanuts. Oops!)

Surprisingly, this is a hit in my family.  My daughters love this, served without the dressing.  My son ate his, but I did serve his on a large plate and didn't have the food touching salad style.  My husband ate two huge salads and rolled away from the table. An added bonus is that it's gluten free, too. Yeah!

This is an interesting salad in that it is sweet, sour, salty, and spicy.  It's also crunchy, soft, and chewy.  Let's not forget that it has warm (noodles), hot (meat), and cold (veggies) taking place, too. Somehow, and I'm not quite sure why that is, it all works together beautifully.  Plus, it's lovely to look at.  It's great all year long, but I particularly like it in the spring and summer. It's a non-traditional salad (for us that is), and I love it.

What's your favorite non-traditional salad? Do share!

Homeschool update:  Youngest daughter is REALLY into Science these days. Here's a shot of her latest science/art combo project.  Volcano!  In honor of the 30th anniversary of the eruption of Mt. St. Helen's (which you can easily see from the Portland area), she created her own eruption. She gave a terrific presentation on the various types of volcanos, and then performed an eruption. It was so COOL!!! Tomorrow we are off to the Mt. Hood Community College Planetarium for a field trip! I love homeschooling!

Pork Bliss! Sweet and Sour Pork Stir Fry (gluten free)

I get asked gluten free questions often, especially from folks who have just started to embrace a gluten free diet. I’m a newbie at this as well, and my motivation comes straight from my heart ... my littlest chow hound. I’ll climb any mountain, cross any sea, forge any storm to help my kidlins, and since my wee one can’t eat wheat, a gluten free lifestyle has become my best friend.

One question that I get asked often is, “What CAN you eat?” The answer is lots of stuff. Lots and lots and LOTS of stuff. Think meat, fish, veggies, dairy, nuts, rice, and potatoes. There are lots of grains, too, such as quinoa and gluten free oats, that pack a whopping flavor punch into our diet. As I get more experience under my belt, converting recipes is becoming easier and easier, too. So you can see that we aren’t withering away to nothingness, gnashing our teeth, or sobbing in despair. Nor are we really missing wheat in our tummies. Our gluten free lifestyle is, well just good food! No special requirements here, all that’s needed is a hungry tummy to fill.

Take last night’s dinner for example. Sweet and sour pork stir fry. This was a quick, easy, colorful meal that came together in less than 30 minutes. Most of the time was spent on prep work and cooking the rice. I based this recipe on one found in the 1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes cookbook by Carol Fenster. I tweaked it just a bit and was pleased with the results. This serves 4-5.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 onion, cut vertically in ¼ inch slices
1 carrot, sliced super thin on the bias
1 red pepper, seeded, and chopped into larger sized squares
1 green pepper, seeded, and chopped into larger sized squares
2.5 lbs thick pork chops, sliced into strips (I prefer strips, but you can cube these)
1 20 oz can pineapple chunks in juice, including the juice
1/3 scant cup cider vinegar
¼ cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons wheat free tamari soy sauce (I used San-J brand)
1 teaspoon powdered ginger (can use fresh – I was out)
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
1 heaping tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons cold water until smooth
Hot cooked rice

In a wok or very large skillet, heat 1.5 tablespoons of the oil over medium high heat.Cook the onion, carrot, and red and green bell peppers, stirring frequently, until they are just start to loose their raw-ness and the onion starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Make sure you leave the veggies somewhat crunchy. Transfer the veggies to a plate.Add the remaining oil and stir fry the pork strips, until cooked through and nicely browned. Season with white pepper.

Add the pineapple chunks, including the juice, vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic and simmer 2 to 3 minutes. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the skillet, continuing to stir until the mixture thickens slightly. Return the vegetables to the work, bring to serving temperature, and serve over hot cooked rice.Now, I will point out that when I served my older children, aka Members of the Foods Should Not Touch Club, I placed it next to the rice. Actually, I tried to segregate the food before placing it on their plates. Hey, although it gets old doing that, most of the time I don’t mind and they actually eat that way. I pick my battles, and food is not one of them. I remind myself that there are foods that I don’t care for, and since I wouldn’t appreciate someone trying to force me, well, I won’t force them. I don’t want any bad Karma. These are the same children, after all, who just might be in charge of me when I’m a little, ancient, toothless woman. Ew, let’s skip the toothless part, shall we. I can handle little and ancient, but I’d like to keep my chompers.On a more pleasant note, this dish is delightful for anyone’s chompers. Lots of texture at work here. The crunchiness of the veggies pairs wonderfully with the chewiness of the pork and rice. I find stir fried pork to be pure bliss. The pineapple adds a nice bit of zing, and plays nicely with the saltiness of the soy sauce. I think a garnish of green onion would be nice here, but I was out.

I served my starving family and while they started to chow down, I grabbed my camera and snapped a couple pics to share with you. My youngest daughter was fascinated with the chop sticks, and asked if she could use them, too. I have to admit, they make meal time fun. Usually my kids set them down about half way through the meal, and revert back to silverware. Hmm ... I wonder if kids who usually eat with chopsticks ever ask their mom’s if they could try silverware?With or without chopsticks, this is a great gluten free meal to be enjoyed by the entire family. Quicker and cheaper than ordering take-out, this is perfect for those busy weeknights when you are tired and want to pull something nutritious together quickly. YUM!

What do you like to make on those nights when you want something quick and easy?

Dinner for Five – Weeknight Wholesome Pork, Rice, and Veggies

The witty banter will be in short supply tonight. It’s a sad day here in Goudaland. A close buddy of my hubbyman perished in a tragic plane crash this morning. Just last night, my guy and his friend worked late together at their shared place of employment, and as of 7:30 am this morning, his good friend is no longer with us. His friend actually commuted daily to work along with another person in a small aircraft that he piloted himself, and this morning something obviously went terribly wrong. Only 49 years old, he will be tremendously missed by his family, friends, and co-workers. He was a glass-half-full type of guy, and my hubby enjoyed his wit, humor, and friendship. So, tonight, I ask you to whisper a prayer for his family and friends, and also suggest that you give a special hug or hello to the special someones in your life just to let them know you care. :-)

So, onto today’s recipe. While I enjoy cooking and consuming all types of yummy creations, my children prefer the straightforward approach. I love a plate to be colorfully presented with snipped chive or parsley garnishes; my offspring absolutely, positively do NOT like greenery sprinkled on their food. Therefore, many weeknight meals served at my table are wholesome, straightforward, no-frills attached food. Hubbyman wolfs down everything placed in front of him, plain or fancy, so there are no hang ups there. It never ceases to amaze me how much my kids like this wholesome, straight-forward meal. They all belong to the clean plate club when it is served; and I mean CLEAN plates ... not a grain of rice left.At the risk of putting off all my readers, here’s a typical, gluten free, weeknight meal from the It’s All Gouda kitchen. There. The truth is out. As you already know, I feed a family of five and I follow a different food pyramid than what is recommended in the U.S. We don’t eat a lot of whole grains (gasp!) especially since we follow a mostly gluten free existence, instead eating more veggies and fruit. I try to have a form of protein, in this case sliced pork, and some sort of gluten free starch to balance out the meal. Often, we end our meal with salad (yep, end the meal) or with fruit. Take a look at the plate, and you’ll see what I mean. Not pictured is sliced melon that we had after the meal. Even better, I can have this on the table in less than 30 minutes. Look out Rachel Ray! Seriously, though, for busy families like mine who find value in eating the evening meal together, meals such as this are important to have in your repertoire.I’m trying to cut back on our meat consumption, and in this meal, I’ve taken 3 thick pork chops and thinly sliced them to make 5 portions. Simply seasoned with seasoned salt and quickly stir fried in a little bit of canola and olive oil, this comes together in just a few minutes. Both my hubby and son would be happy to eat only a ton of meat at a meal; however, by providing lots of variety, they aren’t complaining too much about not having more meat on their plate.Mmm, broccoli ... one of my favorite veggies. My littlest veggie eater also likes cooked broccoli; the older ones barely tolerate it. It pairs great with other foods, so it makes a weekly appearance. Called little trees by my nephew, I cook my broccoli much different than many folks. I bring a pot of water that has slivered garlic in it to a boil, turn the stove off, drop the broccoli in, and let it sit for 5-10 minutes while I prepare the rest of the meal. A quick draining, a sprinkling of sea salt, and a drizzling of olive oil are all that’s needed before plating. It comes out perfect every time.Basmati rice is my all purpose go-to rice. With its flavorful, long, thin grains, it takes only 20 minutes to prepare from start to finish. Here it is simply prepared in chicken broth along with some butter or olive oil. My kids often splash on some soy sauce at the table.
I like to have at least one “raw” food with each meal. More often than not, that means carrots. All members of my family LOVE carrot sticks. I swear I can peel and slice carrots in my sleep. No matter how much I prepare, they always want more and never get sick of them. I’ll be planting these in my garden again this year.

So, there you have it. What does a typical meal look like in your household? Do you have tried and true favorites? And remember to give your special someones a special hug or hello today.

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PS: Is anyone else having blogger reader hang-ups? I subscribe to all my commenter’s blogs, and the reader keeps telling me no new posts. However, I get curious after a couple days and go visiting only to find that, yes, you’ve made several posts. So, I think I’m going to cease relying on the reader and just go visiting. Please know that I love reading your blogs and look forward to all your posts as well as your comments here!

Sweet Heavenly Havana ... Cubano Sandwiches!

A few months ago, I went out to eat at a local restaurant chain called Stanfords. Shortly after placing my order, the server returned to our table and delivered the bad news that the kitchen was out of whatever it was I ordered. Rats! Um, no I didn’t order rats ... that’s just an expression.

Anyway, she handed me the menu to reselect an item and I just randomly picked the Cubano sandwich. The server, who appeared quite relieved that I wasn’t flipping out due to the order snafu, assured me that it really and truly was her most favorite item on the menu. Alrighty, then.

Well, the server knew her stuff. Sweet heavenly Havana, the Cubano sandwich was delightful. So delightful, that I’m thankful to both angels and fate for working together to enable the change of order. Who knew that crunchy bread, warm cheese, tangy mustard, pork and pickles could be so good? I was determined to recreate it at home.

Cubano’s, also called simply Cuban Sandwiches, are a delightful, hot, pressed pork sandwich. No exotic ingredients are needed here. Some recipes call for just pork, while others insist upon both pork and ham. Mustard is a must, as are pickles and swiss cheese. A nice hearty bread encases it all. While these would be very convenient to make in a sandwich press or panini machine, I mimicked the process by stacking a hot, heavy cast iron pan on top of mine. You’ll see what I mean in just a minute. Let’s begin, shall we?Gather these ingredients

1 hearty bread roll like ciabatta
Yellow mustard
Dill pickle slices
Swiss cheese
Pork ... sliced, shredded, etc.
Oil for greasing skillet
Aluminum foil
1 non stick skillet
1 cast iron skillet – heated

First, heat up a cast iron skillet until it is very warm, but not killer hot.Now, slice open your roll, and slather with yellow mustard.Then layer with a slice of swiss cheese,Then pickles,Then pork,Then some more cheese.
Cap it off with the other roll piece. Using papertowels, wipe a nonstick skillet with just a touch of oil, same as you would for pancakes. Heat this greased skillet on medium heat,Place sandwich in the skillet.Put a slice of foil on top, andThen put the heated cast iron skillet on top of the foil. The weight of the cast iron will press the sandwich flatter, and the heat of it will help cook the sandwich. Let cook until the bottom starts to turn a toasted golden color, then flip the sandwich, replace the foil, and put the cast iron pan back on top. Toast the bottom side just a couple of minutes. Remove from pan, and let sit for about a minute.Slice in half and serve. YUM! Pressing the sandwich really transforms it. The bread takes on an entirely different texture when pressed, and the pork goes so well with the other tangy ingredients.See how golden and crisp the bread becomes?You can eat these hot or cold. I like 'em hot! Do you want one? Come on over, and I’ll make cubano’s for everyone.

Oh, and be sure to visit Cheryl's blog, Cooking Dunkin Style. She posted an awesome Cubano today, too! Great minds and all that!

The Triple P - Paula's Pork and Potatoes

Do you ever look in your fridge and just, well, let out a ho-hum sigh? I do. Like a wind-up toy, I make the trek from the fridge to the cupboard, back to the fridge, back to the cupboard multiple times before finally acknowledging that I’m just not in the mood to whip up a masterpiece meal. It really has nothing to do with the contents of my larder; it’s usually fully stocked. I think it’s more along the lines of just being plain, old tuckered out.

As I wore out a track on the floorboards today going from fridge to cupboard and back again, I gave myself a pep talk. “Making something quick and easy could be good,” I silently murmured within my own thoughts. (Picture me tapping my finger on the side of my mouth.) “Hmm, that pork should be eaten today, and then there are potatoes just waiting to be eaten.” Ah, my inner psyche knows how to get attention. Potatoes usually make the picky eaters happy. Pork usually makes me happy. The other white meat is actually my preferred white meat.

So .... after much sighing and facial gesturing and finger-to-face tapping, I decided on a simple but flavorful BBQ pork and potato dish. This ended up being a saving-grace decision as my hubby and daughter made their own trek to the neighbors for some extended super bowl fun, thereby causing me to hold a completely cooked meal for over an hour. An hour, people! So much for just popping over for a to say hi. Be gone 45 minutes at the most. Yeah, right. They were gone almost 3 hours! That must have been one loooong helloooooo. (Actually, the neighbors are very, very nice. I was just tuckered out. And grumpy. I'm better now.)

Ahem. Anyway. This pork was very forgiving, and the sitting time actually made it more the texture of smoked pork or even a carnitas, if carnitas were served whole instead of shredded, that is. It’s hard to describe, it wasn’t dry but it wasn’t really juicy either. What is was, though, was tender and excellent. I mean really, really good. The picky eater charter club members liked it, especially my carnivore son who was displeased that I did not have enough for him to have seconds. He covertly faked like he was going to snatch his twin sister’s portion, which resulted in a loud protesting outburst by said sibling. I gave him some of mine, restored peace, and you’d have thought I just provided manna from Heaven judging by the way he ate it. The next time I make this, I’m not sure if I should serve it right away or hold it for an hour!! Here’s what I did.

6 boneless pork tenderloin chops (I prefer bone in, but hubby likes boneless)
Lawry’s Season Salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup – give or take – of your favorite thick BBQ sauce (mine is gluten free)
8 large red potatoes
½ cup butter – sliced into pats
½ cup heavy cream – generous ½ cup
Sea Salt
White pepper

Season the chops liberally with Lawry’s Seasoned Salt. Rub the oil over the seasoned chops and set aside. Heat up your grill (I grill year round on our gas grill), and when it reaches about 400 degrees, place the chops on the super hot grill. Close the lid, lower the temp just a bit, and grill for 5 minutes. Flip the chops, close the lid, and grill the other side for another 5 minutes. Remove from the grill and place right into a baking dish. Pour BBQ sauce over the chops and place uncovered in a preheated 350 oven for 20 minutes.

While the chops bake, make your potatoes. Select 8 large red potatoes (not the baby variety). Wash, do NOT peel, and cube into large chunks. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt if desired. I desired. Add potatoes to the boiling water. Here’s a tip for you. Are you tired of avoiding the scalding splashes when adding veggies to boiling water. Give this a try. Put the veggies, in this case potatoes, into your strainer.Simply lower the stainer into the water, and let the veggies slide out. Easy peasy. Then save the strainer to use when it comes time to, you know, strain the cooked veggies. Boil for about 12 minutes or until cooked. Turn off the burner.

Drain thorough and put back into the hot pot. Place back on burner; the residual heat from the coils/grate will help somehow with the starches. Immediately add the butter and the heavy cream. Stir to coat. Season with sea salt and white pepper. Mash. Leave alone. Over mashing makes them wall paper paste.

Now here is where I would plate and serve them right away.In our case, however, we waited an hour for hubbyman and football fan #3 to return home, with everything staying warm in the oven. They still turned out fabulous.See what I mean? Not dry, not juicy, but oh so tender and all gooooood. The sauce really thickened up during the waiting period. Mmmmmm ... yummilicious. Oh, one more thing. This was gluten free, all the way, baby!

So, I have two questions for you. Well, it’s more than two, but, you know, some of them go together.

1) Have you ever had to hold a meal? How’d it turn out? Good? Flop?
2) What do you like to cook when you are just uninspired?

Love Me Tender -- Pork Tenderloin with Caramelized Onion, Almond, and Apricot Stuffing that is!

I’m in love again. Head over heals in love and I’m announcing it weeks before Valentine’s Day. From the first moment my eyes gazed longingly upon the new object of my desire, the love spell was cast. The pitter patter of my heart raced with anticipation. Would everything of our first get together be as wonderful as I hoped? Would it be all that I longed for?

Okay, okay ... there’s no need to get all a twitter. I’m talking about tasting my new recipe for stuffed pork tenderloin! Gee whiz, what did you think I meant? hehe

Remember how you felt the first time you tried a new recipe and found it to be a real keeper? I mean, seriously, how many times do you really close your eyes and let out a moan when you take the first bite? This recipe is THAT good. I’ve never made anything like it and I’m just so pleased with it. The stuffing is just sooooo yummilicious, and the pork itself was perfect. Really folks, you MUST try this. It’s the stuff of legends. Well, okay, maybe not legends, but it’s 'love at first sight' good. The original recipe (Better Homes and Gardens) actually calls for it to be made with turkey tenderloins and served as an appetizer. I adapted it to be a main entrée and used that other white meat – pork. It is rather messy to assemble, but, oh baby, it is worth it. Come on, join me as we make ...

Love Me Tender
Pork Tenderloin with Onion Apricot Cream Stuffing

1 tablespoon butter
1 sweet onion – sliced into thin half rounds
¼ teaspoon black pepper
dash of cayenne pepper
1 Tablespoons brandy
6 dried apricots – diced
½ of an 8 oz brick of cream cheese – softened
1 pork tenderloin – trimmed of any exterior fat or sliver skin
¼ cup slivered almonds
1 tablespoon pistachios
drizzle of olive oil
Garlic Salt
5-6 long pieces of cotton kitchen string

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and add the onion. Toss gently and cook until the onion is tender and has turned a lovely golden color. Stir in the peppers. Remove from heat, and add the brandy, stirring to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan.Add the diced dried apricots, cover, and let stand off the heat for about 15 minutes. Stir in the cream cheese until it’s melted and everything is combined.

Heat the oven to 400F. Place a rack on a foil lined baking pan. In a small pan, over medium heat, toast the almonds and pistachios. It won’t take but a couple of minutes.After the nuts have toasted, chop the nuts as you would for baking. Now it’s time to butterfly the pork. This is the messy part. Very carefully, with a sharp knife, butterfly slice your tenderloin so that it lays flat in a rectangle shape. I actually used both a knife and kitchen shears. I wish I could have taken a picture for you, but my hands were really, well, gross. Anyway, pat your pork dry. Using a meat mallet, pound the pork until it is uniform in thickness. Really pound away. Now take your cream cheese mixture and spread it to within 1 inch of the edges. Take your chopped nuts, and sprinkle them on top of the cream cheese. Now roll your pork up lengthwise, jelly roll style. Try to make a tight roll. Tie at about 1-1/2 to 2” intervals with string. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with garlic salt. Place on the rack, and bake for 35-40 minutes.You can see that the stuffed loin reached from end to end on this rack.
See how much it shrinks when it cooks? Isn’t that incredible? That’s okay, I forgave it.I mean look at this!Isn’t this gorgeous? Remove from the oven, and allow to sit for about 10 minutes before slicing.Remove the string. It just peels away super easily.

Slice. Serve. Fall in love. Hum Love Me Tender(loin). This is so flavorful. You’ve got the wonderful pork paired with the creamy filling.The creamy filling, or stuffing I should say, is surprisingly light. The onion takes center stage, but the apricots and nuts definitely let it be known that they are at the party. This stuffing would go great rolled up in thin chicken breasts, plus it would be super easy to do with just regular pork chops.My youngest child loved this. Which reminds me, this is a GLUTEN FREE recipe, all the way, baby!

And, if you are in the mood to listen to some love songs while you savor your stuffed pork tenderloin, here is a list of the top 20 love songs of all time courtesy of the internet. Of course, I’m sure this list changes daily. Check it out and see how many of these you know!

1 WHITNEY HOUSTON -I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU
2 ELVIS PRESLEY -LOVE ME TENDER
3 CELINE DION -MY HEART WILL GO ON
4 JOURNEY -OPEN ARMS
5 PAUL MCCARTNEY & WINGS -MAYBE I’M AMAZED
6 RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS -UNCHAINED MELODY
7 LIONEL RICHIE/DIANA ROSS -ENDLESS LOVE
8 ELTON JOHN -YOUR SONG
9 JACKSON 5 -I’LL BE THERE
10 AEROSMITH -I DON’T WANNA MISS A THING
11 ETTA JAMES -AT LAST
12 BEE GEES -HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE
13 SINEAD O’CONNOR -NOTHING COMPARES 2 U
14 OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN -I HONESTLY LOVE YOU
15 BILLY JOEL -SHE’S GOT A WAY
16 FRANK SINATRA -FLY ME TO THE MOON
17 FAITH HILL -BREATHE
18 PETER GABRIEL -IN YOUR EYES
19 CHICAGO -IF YOU LEAVE ME NOW
20 SONNY & CHER -I GOT YOU BABE

The Perfect Bite - Stir Fry Veggies with Pork

Here’s a question for you. Does your body ever, um, you know, talk to you? By that I mean does your body ever send you signals of what it needs? Now I know some folks crave chocolate and justify snarfing down the dark goddess by saying they are getting the anti oxidants it provides. But seriously, my blogging friends, have you ever just craved, let’s say, a glass of milk ... nothing else will do? Then, while you were chugging down that white beverage, you realized that you’ve been neglecting dairy and so perhaps your body was letting you know what it needed? Or perhaps you really desire a banana or apple or orange, and as the first bite passes your lips, you realize just how long it’s been since you devoured your last one?

All day long today, I’ve been craving veggies. I miss my summer garden, both the convenience and goodness it provided. Now that the weather has turned blustery, we’ve been eating more “cold weather” meals for dinner. Heavier and heartier than our summer dining fare, these winter meals have all been very tasty, yet the thought of eating another large dose of meat tonight just didn’t sit well with me. Then I found my oldest daughter, who is a big veggie girl anyway, snacking on a bag of cut up lettuce. "Okay," I say to myself, "I hear you ... you want veggies! Your daughter wants veggies! I'm not one to mess with fate. Let’s lighten the load and have a full flavored veggie meal."

Then I said to myself, “Self, what about your carnivorous husband and son? What can you do, short of waving the proverbial magic wand, to make veggies the star of the show, but include some meat to satisfy the men-folk?”

Answer: Stir fry. Two words that make me smile and my taste buds dance just thinking about them. Do you ever prepare stir fry’s? What do you think of them? I think they are just super-de-duper. In less than 30 minutes, you can have a really tasty, tummy pleasing meal. Any veggies will do; I used what I had handy. I wish I had some nappa cabbage to add, too, as I love cabbage in stir fry's. Other folks might like sliced mushrooms, bean sprouts, pea pods, etc. I served this tantalizing combo over rice because of my gluten free eater, but you can pair stir fry’s with noodles, if you like. Start cooking your rice or noodles before you begin your prep work, and in no time at all, you’ll be crunching and munching on your dinner.

Another bonus with stir fry’s is that I’m able to enjoy what I like to call “the perfect bite”. (Did you ever see the movie “The Mirror Has Two Faces”, where Barbara Streisand likes to load her fork with different foods in her quest for the perfect bite?) You’ve seen me posting loaded fork photos ... my quest for the perfect blend of flavors all in one bite. Here we go –

Stir Fry Veggies with Pork

1 Tablespoon oil – I used canola
1 head of fresh broccoli – sliced into bite sized pieces
2 large carrots – bias sliced, thin
1 onion – sliced into medium wedges
1 green pepper - sliced into med/thin long strips
1 garlic clove – sliced in half, and then into thin shaved slices
Sea Salt
Pepper
½ teaspoon Ground ginger
3 pork chops – sliced into thin strips and tossed with salt, pepper, and a little oil
Soy Sauce – I used gluten free shoyu sauce
1 green onion – sliced thin for garnish
Hot chili sesame oil – few shakes for garnish
Hot cooked rice – I used a loooong grain basmati

In a large bowl, place about a ½ cup of water and add the broccoli. Put uncovered into microwave, and zap on high for about 3 minutes. Leave in the microwave to semi steam while you keep prepping the other veggies. In a large sauté pan or wok, heat the oil and add the onion. Stir fry for 30 seconds. Add the carrots and green pepper and stir fry for an additional 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and keep stirring. Add the ground ginger (I didn’t have fresh) and stir it in. Very quickly, drain the broccoli and add to the pan. Keep stir frying for about 2 more minutes, and then remove veggies and place in a bowl near the stove. Your pan should be really hot. Now add the pork. It should really sizzle up. Stir it constantly until the pork is done. This happens relatively quickly ... just 2 or 3 minutes. Doesn’t it look pretty? Sprinkle the meat with about 3 or 4 shakes of soy sauce, stir it in, and then return all the veggies back to the pan. Toss together and remove from the heat.They look so pretty all mixed together. We’re almost done ... but go ahead and sneak a little nibble. I won’t tell. Plate with rice, and sprinkle with green onion and chili sesame oil. The chili sesame oil really added a ton of flavor and just a wee bit of heat. Use just regular sesame oil if you aren’t a fan of the chili version.
Now it’s time to compose the perfect bite. Lots of crunchy but not raw veggies, awesome rice (look at those long grains!) to provide a different texture component, and a strip of meat to satisfy the carnivores.Just a quick taste and ..... YUM! Flavor explosion!

My kids ate all of theirs ... although my son left most of his rice on his plate (I served his and his twin sisters meals with the rice and stir fry separate). My carnivorous hubbyman ate seconds and I think he snuck in thirds when I was distracted.Hello you beautiful broccoli. You, too, Mr. Carrot.

Simple foods. Quickly prepared. Lots of flavor. Oh yeah, the perfect bite. Added bonus ... gluten free all the way, baby!
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Stay tuned ... up coming post to include our version of a gingerbread house ... only this house is made from rice krispy treats! Gluten free, baby!